Casting a Lyman 457122 HP

[Leadmelter]

It has been a while since I made bullets with a removable HP pin.
Any helpful suggestions to get started again.
Thanks in advance!
Leadmelter
MI

[MT Chambers]

Since the pin cools quicker then the mold I leave the pin in the bullet as long as possible, ie: I drop the bullet with the pin in it, then take the pin out and re-insert into mold last.

[Nueces]

Allow me to recommend using Nomex/kidskin flying gloves for use when casting like that. They fit tightly and the thin leather allows lots of tactile feel, while the Nomex backing protects from lead splatter. Use them in comfort until you sweat through the leather. After that, contact with a very hot surface will flash steam the sweat and give you an owie.

[OS OK]

This is a 'pre-warming' picture of the mould...having a spot to place the pin will keep it hot while you cast...each time I open the mould I place the pin back in this big hex nut as I open and close the mould. If I need to take a break I'll place the mould back on the hot plate and when I come back I can continue without having bad casts.


189563

[Mk42gunner]

Since the pin in my 457122HP always wanted to stick in the boolit, I had a lot better luck pulling the pin before cutting the sprue. This prevented the boolit from spinning in the cavity.

Robert

[Nueces]

My pin used to stick, too. So, wearing those flying gloves, I'd drop the bullet with pin, then just twist the bullet off the pin with my fingers.

[waco]

As Glen Fryxell says, "A hot pin is a happy pin"

[MT Chambers]

Since the pin in my 457122HP always wanted to stick in the boolit, I had a lot better luck pulling the pin before cutting the sprue. This prevented the boolit from spinning in the cavity.

Robert
That keeps the pin out of the heat for a bit, and some may have probs. with that.

[beagle]

You may be able to polish the pin and improve performance. Many times in turning small ridges are left on the pin. Take some fine emery cloth and fold and hold between your fingers. Push the pin in between the abrasive surfaces applying finger pressure. Pull out while applying pressure, turn pin and repeat until you have done the pin all the way around several times. Don't overdo. A properly finished pin should release with very little effort./beagle

[Strtspdlx]

I have two cavity brass mold and I sit it on The hot plate on high while the pot is warming up. Once the pot is ready I grab the mold and heat the sprue plate and pins with a small propane torch for about 5 seconds each. First cast should take awhile for the sprue to harden. I always get the mold a little too hot and let it come back down to where it needs to be while casting. So far the bullets slide right off the pins. Steel may be different and so may Lyman hp pins. But I've never had a problem doing it that way. Just something to try maybe.

[Larry Gibson]

189615

[Leadmelter]

I am waiting for the weather to break here in MI. I went to to the store ad came up with one inch 3/8 inch steel with a steel cap. I ground down the cap to lay flat and cut the pipe so the pin to sit flat against the cap. I will see how it works this weekend.
Thanks for the input.
Leadmelter
MI

[RickinTN]

I dip the pin in the melt for 3 or 4 seconds if it seems to be getting a little cool. You can tell it's hot enough when the melt no longer sticks.
Rick

[Rattlesnake Charlie]

I polishe my pins with 400 then 600 grit wet-dry sandpaper. Clean them real good with a degreaser. I use aerosol carb cleaner. Then heat slightly and apply Dri-Slide, which is moly in an alcohol solution. Leaves a very thin layer of moly. Keep the pin hot when casting. I usually have a propane torch sitting on the bench and lit to reheat the pin after any slow down in casting. Use caution - the pin is very easy to overheat, but it does not seem to damage it any. I always remove the pin before cutting the sprue. BTW, always wear heavy leather boots when using this type of mold. At some time or another, you will pour with the pin not being installed.

[45workhorse]

After using a q-tip to spread the lube you get from mihec molds, to lube the sprue plate down, wipe the pin down and I have no problems. Very, very light coat.
My two cents

[Wayne Smith]

I ladle cast and my mold demands pressure casting. Do that and you get beautiful boolits, don't and you get partial and wrinkled boolits.

[Leadmelter]

Had a free hours and got out the mold.
I preheated the mold and and pin and set the RCBS pot to 750.
I made about a 130 bullets before I got tired
Average wt is 340 grs using 1/30 ROTO Metal
Average DIA is .45805"
Looking for help on decreasing the weight and increasing the diameter to .459.
Leadmelter
MI

[OS OK]

Had a free hours and got out the mold.
I preheated the mold and and pin and set the RCBS pot to 750.
I made about a 130 bullets before I got tired
Average wt is 340 grs using 1/30 ROTO Metal
Average DIA is .45805"
Looking for help on decreasing the weight and increasing the diameter to .459.
Leadmelter
MI

This should help to lighten and fatten them at the same time...the harder they are the fatter they come out of the mold and lighter too..



192087

[Leadmelter]

OS OK
Thank You , better luck on the pot.
Leadmelter
MI

[Ateam]

Unfortunately, the harder they are the less they act like a HP should. Unless you want them to fragment (coyotes or something).

[Nueces]

As Ateam suggests, a Lyman 457122, cast in linotype, over 16 grains of Unique will explode in a jackrabbit. It is ideal as a big bore varmint slug.

[Leadmelter]

I save the chart and will be doing some calculations. My first try was 1/30 from Rotometal.
This is what is great about this website: ask a question get several answers.
Thanks to all
Leadmelter
MI

[Ateam]

I am experimenting with the same boolit, and just a few hundred miles north of you. I started a thread, which I need to update, trying to get this thing to expand and not come apart.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?330651-First-time-testing-with-newsprint

I got a ftf with the 4198, and even at low speed (1250fps) I was blowing the petals off the hp 30:1, pb:sn alloy. I switched to 13g unique which gave me about 1150fps. I also moved back to a tougher alloy, and filled the HP with melted wax from the lubersizer. The results are promising, but not consistent yet, I think I may try up to 15-16g unique. I might need to change my test media also.

[Leadmelter]

I did a little work with my boolits. I used my Cabin tree device and the seven boolits I measured showed up in the pure lead area not in the 1/30 range.
I have about 3.5lbs of lino to add to the mix and see where I come out. If I get some jewels I can pm and send samples.
A few hundred mile in MI can be west or "Up North".
Leadmelter
MI

[Ateam]

Both north and west, Traverse City area.

[Leadmelter]

ATeam: Up there once or twice a year.
I did some work in the garage and added about 5lbs of lino, stirred and poured two ingots. They registered about Lyman #2.
Get time this week will try an another hundred. Report to follow.
Leadmelter
Wild Wonderful Warren MI

[Ateam]

When I cast a few from some 30:1 I made, they sheared off the front at about 1200fps which leads me to believe my alloy has something other than lead and tin. Or news media is just too tough on a HP of this depth. I am tempted to have the road commission drop off a fresh road kill deer to shoot a few times. Though that is probably something I shouldn't tell people about....

[Rattlesnake Charlie]

What medium did you shoot them into?

At 30:1, and 1200 fps, you should have had perfect mushrooming in both deer and water filled milk jugs. Those are pretty much the specs that Gould designed that bullet for -- shooting deer with a Trapdoor. If you happen to be pushing them considerably faster, like 1400+ fps, it will probably shed petals all the way back to the bottom of the HP. Keep velocity and alloy in the design envelope and you'll have a dandy deer cartridge.

As an aside, I have decided I do not need a HP for deer in the .45-70. I use a Ranch Dog design of 350 gr (367 in my soft alloy) that has a large meplate and gas check. I do have a MiHec mold for 350 gr GC with a LARGE HP to use on coyotes.

[Ateam]

The test media was wet news print. And i did crono it. I will give milk jugs a try again. I am new to casting for big bore rifle, and am new to hunting with cast. If I had it to do over again, I would probably do as you suggest and forget the HP. But I am enjoying testing development and tinkering.